Vinyl Record Memories Newsletter
(VIP CLUB)

The golden age of vinyl records and all things retro are the highlights of the monthly Newsletter. Writing stories about our vinyl record memories with added content from my personal collection is my way of sharing memories and keeping the oldies alive.

Issue #139 - December, 2024

What's New?

• As the holiday season continues with Christmas and the New Year we thank you for your friendship and support.

• DJ Ned Ward's Spotlight Christmas Song this month features Elvis and a Special New Christmas Classic Video.
  

• Looking Back On Our First Teen Idol.

• Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree Goes To No 1 - After 65 Years.
  

• You might also like these stories...

Take a trip down memory lane with with the original classic oldies show - Monday thru Saturday from 1pm to 3pm, all times Pacific, on KNCP Newberry Mix 107.3 FM. 

Ned Ward turns music into memories playing yesterday's country favorites and the classic hits of the 50's and 60's Doo Wop style on the Original Country Doo Wop show.

Country Doo Wop Spotlight Song Of The Month.

Nothing evokes the memories of Christmases past like music. It captures the warmth of family and friends reunited for a few days at least. It gladdens the heart with familiar melodies, and lifts the spirits with its timeless message of peace, love, and goodwill toward all. Here's a couple of our Country Doo-Wop favorites from our friend and DJ, Ned Ward.

When Elvis filmed his 1968 "Comeback" TV Special, Martina McBride was not quite 2 years old. Forty years later the country singer steps back in time and walks out of the audience to join Elvis in one of the most remarkable Elvis videos ever.

Yes ladies, we get to have Elvis right here with us for another Christmas. This is a real treat if you have not seen this Martina and Elvis duet.

Another Country Doo-Wop Classic Christmas Song.

This nostalgic song revolves around memories and the longing for a loved one at Christmas. It embodies the emotional connection between music and memories. If only we could freeze time to enjoy the moments, we would. We all have our favorite Christmas songs, among them Brenda Lee's "Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree" and Bobby Helms' "Jingle Bell Rock." But the moment this Christmas classic begins to play, it captures the listener’s attention from the very first line.

"All I Want For Christmas is You" conveys a sense of longing and nostalgia as Lisa Layne remembers her special guy at Christmas. What’s good about memories is that they remain a part of us no matter where we go in life. To all who love the oldies, please enjoy this special new video put together just for you.

Ricky Nelson - First Teen Idol
(May 8, 1940 – December 31, 1985)

1958 -   "Teen Idol" Appears In Print For The First Time. Life magazine became the first major publication to print the phrase "teen idol" when it used it to describe its cover subject, Ricky Nelson on December 1st, 1958.

Nelson released his debut album, the chart-topping LP Album, Ricky, the previous year. By the summer of 1958, his single "Poor Little Fool" was the first #1 hit on the newly minted Billboard Hot 100 chart. Enjoy this live concert version of "Poor Litte Fool" from 1983, two years before Nelson's untimely death.

It should also be noted the background singers in this video below, The Jordanaires, are the same group on the original Poor Little Fool 45rpm record in 1958. 

Four Years Later "Teenage Idol" Becomes Hit Song.

Teenage Idol, which clearly could have been about Nelson himself, was a billboard Hot 100 Top 5 vinyl record in 1962.

As you listen to the song it really does mirror Ricky's life even up to the end on that sad day December 31st, 1985 when he lost his life in a plane crash while en route to a concert in Texas. To the right is a young James Burton on lead guitar.

December Dates To Remember.

December 4th

1956 - At Sun Studio in Memphis, Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis jam together on a few tunes. Johnny Cash shows up later to get in the picture and complete what becomes known as the "Million Dollar Quartet."

1988 - In Akron, Ohio, Roy Orbison plays his last concert (his final song: "Running Scared"). The legendary singer dies of heart failure two days later at age 52.

December 9th

2023 -  Thanks to a new music video, "Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree" by Brenda Lee, originally released in 1958, goes to #1 in America, making Lee, 78, the oldest artist ever to top the chart. And at 65 years, it's the longest a song has ever taken to reach the top spot.

You might also like these Ricky Nelson stories...

• As you watch this "Travelin' Man Video" it's hard not to feel a sense of nostalgia. The smooth vocals and catchy melody take you back to 1961, along with a second video from 1985, just four months before Ricky's death. Travel Back In Time Here...
  

• The Ricky Nelson cover of "I Will Follow You" was originally recorded in 1961 as an instrumental. The song achieved its widest success when it was recorded by Little Peggy March in 1963. That same year, Nelson also recorded "I Will Follow You" for his first Decca Album and sang the cover on The Ozzie and Harriet Show with a young James Burton on lead guitar. Follow the story here...
  

• The Ricky Nelson and Fats Domino Vinyl Memories return to 1985 with a special concert that includes this original 1957 song, I'm Walkin' in which both Ricky and Fats placed on the charts, Fats at #1 and Ricky at #4. Keep Walkin' and watch live performance here...
  

I hope you find time to visit more great stories about growing up in the 50s, 60s and 70s. You can start here....